


small creatures in the space

by asdf8975



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: 01 line, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, F/F, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26947858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asdf8975/pseuds/asdf8975
Summary: They were ordinary girls, a pair of best friends, with a strange situation.-----01:  All Minjoo wanted was to drink some water before going to bed, but every morning, she found a small dragon asleep in her favourite orange cup.
Relationships: Honda Hitomi/Yabuki Nako, Jo Yuri/Kim Minju
Comments: 1
Kudos: 42





	small creatures in the space

Minjoo had a later schedule compared to most University students.

Having to juggle between working at a part-time job to pay for her expenses and attend classes, she meticulously arranged her schedule with classes in the late afternoon into the evening and then a shift at a convenient store into the late night to the peak of early morning. After a long day, she would return home to sleep until classes resumed once more. It was a tough schedule but Minjoo was persistent, believing that hard work will always pay off. 

Minjoo lived alone in a small home on the outskirts of the city, having to take an hour commute to her University, but she was lucky enough to have some work at the convenient store that was within walking distance. So, every time she returned from her shift, she enjoyed silent mornings and serene sunsets.

Except, one of those silent and serene mornings became strange when she pulled down her favourite ceramic orange cup from the shelf. She was about to pour water inside the cup until she felt its weight heavier than usual and peered inside, finding a small dragon curled up within the confined rounded walls. She raised a brow, she just wanted to rehydrate herself before sleeping but a tiny creature sleeping peacefully in her cup prevented her from doing so. She contemplated using a different cup, but the only other cup was still drying. 

With no other option, she gingerly cradled the cup in her hands and opened the back door, bending down to slowly dump the tiny dragon out onto the grass. She had no idea how it broke into her house (and found itself in her cup), but it was probably far away from wherever its home was and it would be improper for her to keep it in hers.

As the dragon rolled onto the grass, it let out a snort, bathing in the morning rays with a content sigh. Its tiny wings wrapped around its scaly body and its head tucked within, willing darkness in its peaceful world. The sight made Minjoo smile, she found it enduring how happy the creature seemed, content with sleeping. 

It didn’t have to worry about problems like money, or work, or studying like she did. She was slightly envious.

But there would be one day when those problems wouldn’t be as big, and she could also roll around and sleep peacefully. She gently rubbed the top of the dragon’s hidden head and wished it goodnight before leaving to wash her cup and rehydrate herself.

* * *

Minjoo’s “strange” mornings soon became a “norm”. 

For the next few days, Minjoo found the small dragon sleeping peacefully in the same cup after her shift. She checked all her doors and windows, but somehow the dragon always found a way into her home. It was odd and left her confused… But it didn’t cause any harm as far as she could tell, everything was still in order and nothing seemed out of place. The only changes were the soft scratches she could see on her orange mug, which made her slightly upset, but it wasn’t _life changing_.

Fridays were one of the few break days Minjoo arranged in her schedule. With no classes in the afternoon and no shift in the evening, she was free to sleep as long as she liked and catch up on her studies and chores if needed. But, instead of her usual routine of dumping the dragon out into the backyard and retreating to wash her mug and drink some water before sleeping for the morning, she laid the dragon out onto a clean towel on her kitchen table and turned on her coffee machine as she washed the mug. Once the machine made a confirmation that it was done brewing the coffee beans, she placed her mug underneath and waited for the aromatic smell of her favourite Americano to fill it.

She returned to the table once it was finished and set the cup next to the towel. Her eyes fell onto the dragon and she watched in amusement as it moved about, realizing it was in a different habitat.

Even though it was a short while, Minjoo grew fond of her dragon companion. Despite being in school, due to her busy schedule, she never had time to really connect with others with the exception for her best friend who shared a similar schedule like hers. Outside of work and school, she spent a lot of time alone, so having someone (could she even call it that?) to come back home to was refreshing and warmed her empty house.

The small dragon raised its head, blinking up at Minjoo. Minjoo waved a little, greeting the dragon a “good morning”, but received a sleepy snort in response. It turned its head away, noticing its favourite sleeping spot and crawled over to go back to sleep in it until it saw dark liquid swirling about. Minjoo laughed quietly and outstretched her hand, playfully batting the top of its head away before it could dunk its head into her coffee. The dragon fought back, trying to snap at Minjoo’s finger with its teeth but Minjoo pulled her hand away to a height where its neck couldn’t reach. “Sorry, this is my favourite cup.” She apologized sheepishly.

The dragon lowered itself, sulking. Minjoo felt sorry, she constantly disturbed its sleep throughout the week. She fished around her pocket and pulled out some stray coins. In many spun out fantasies and magnificent tales, dragons were known to be treasure hoarders, and Minjoo thought it would be cute for this one to start its own. She took one of the coins and held it out to the dragon, “I’m sorry, forgive me?” 

The dragon raised its head, curious. It stretched forward, taking the coin into its mouth before moving back to play with it in its claws. A slow smile stretched upwards on Minjoo’s lips as the dragon became more excited, its wings beating slowly and tail curling back and forth.

She could get used to these kinds of mornings.

* * *

Minjoo loved meat, she loved it so much that at least once every two weeks, depending on her schedule, she would go out for grilled meat with her “only” friend, or how this friend worded it, her “bestest friend in all of Korea and Japan”, Yabuki Nako. They have been friends since Nako moved to Korea and even attended the same University and worked at the same convenient store. They were tied to the hip since they were younger and naturally, they could read each other very well.

Minjoo was enjoying a mouthful of juicy beef and kimchi until Nako suddenly asked, “Are you going out with someone?” 

Her chopsticks clattered to the table and she shot a surprise look across, nearly choking on her precious meat. “ _What?_ ”

Nako chewed on a piece of beef as she stared at Minjoo with an arched brow. “You’re more upbeat than usual.” She reached over, snapping up one of Minjoo’s pieces of beef on her plate, “So I thought that you were seeing someone behind my back.” 

Before Nako’s chopsticks could grab another one of her perfectly grilled pieces, Minjoo slapped Nako’s chopsticks away with her own. “O-Of course not!” Her cheeks flushed but she kept her shoulders straight and denial strong, “You know how my schedule is, I don’t have time for a relationship right now.”

Nako should know, juggling working at the convenient store, attending university classes, doing homework for said classes, and taking care of herself and the house sapped up all her time. 

What Nako didn’t know was the _small_ dragon that Minjoo was taking care of as well, but she didn’t need to know about it for now, since it really seemed like something out of a fairy tale--finding a small dragon in her coffee cup every morning.

Nako shrugged as she piled more meat on the grill to cook. “Good! I would be hurt otherwise. We’re best friends, Minjoo, best friends are supposed to know this kind of stuff.” Her lips pushed out, forming a pout. “Anyways, are those holes in your shirt? I thought that one was your favourite.” She pointed at Minjoo’s shoulder.

Minjoo blinked, glancing down at where Nako pointed and panicked, it must have been from earlier when she was cleaning the house with her dragon companion. The tiny dragon liked to sit on her shoulder, hind legs clamping down gently on her shoulder with its tail dangling behind while it watched her with curious, black eyes. It would occasionally like to turn its head, snorting sometimes and have its tiny mouth move up and down, almost like imitating the turbulent emotions she had while she cleaned.

(She didn’t consider herself emotional when she cleaned but it could be frustrating when she stubbed her toe against the corner of the table _multiple_ times.) 

“T-This? Oh, I uhm…” Her words trailed off, mouth twitching slightly. “Wear and tear?”

Nako arched a brow, it was obvious as she didn’t believe her but dropped the topic as she flipped over the meat, she put on earlier.

As Nako busied herself with preparing more meat for their stomachs, Minjoo brought out a paper bag, pushing it next to Nako’s chair. “I think this is everything you asked for. Make sure to freeze any extra bread that you’re not eating, it goes bad in a couple of days.” She snapped up one of Nako’s grilled beef slices, humming happily because beef was the best.

Nako, forgetting about the meat, glanced down at the bag, her eyes brightened at the mention of _bread_. “Great. You’re the best, Minjoo.” She paused, digging through the contents of the bag. “You even got the bagels.”

“I didn’t know you liked bagels, I thought you were more of a scones fan…” Minjoo chewed through a mouthful of Kimchi as she blinked at Nako’s sudden cough.

“W-We have to mix it up sometimes.” She explained hastily, her hands focusing on the grill as she flipped more meat. “B-Bagels are good too…”

Minjoo wasn’t convinced, but because Nako dropped her suspicion about her shirt, then she thought it was proper to not push about Nako’s sudden change in bread preferences.

* * *

Every morning, when Minjoo took down her cup and laid the dragon outside, she would leave a coin next to the small body. It was an apology for always moving it when all it wanted to do was sleep and she wanted to help build its growing treasure collection. It was amusing when she opened the cupboard to find a stack of coins lined up neatly next to her favourite mug.

“I think your coin pile would look good in this.” 

Minjoo placed a small treasure chest on the table. The dragon curiously moved around it, tail touching it at first to make sure Minjoo wasn’t pulling a prank on it, before drawing itself closer and eventually on top of the chest. It played with the chest while Minjoo brought down the assortment of coins from the shelf. They spent the next few minutes placing each coin in the chest and once it was full, the dragon closed it with a satisfied snap and climbed on top of it. 

Minjoo laughed quietly, rubbing the dragon’s head. “You look like a real dragon now.” 

The tiny dragon seemed offended and tried to snap at her finger. Minjoo pulled away before it could, waggling her finger playfully. “Remember, I’m still taller than you.” She grinned at the snort and the snap of the head away from her.

Their attention was drawn over to the TV when the variety show that Minjoo was watching stopped for a commercial break. “Ah, that _Haribo_ commercial again…” She sighed, it was interesting the first time, but after the next few times, it was _annoying._ The dragon hummed along with the commercial, making Minjoo sigh even more, knowing it was doing that just to further annoy her.

“I wouldn’t mind some jelly though.” She mused shortly after as the commercial ended and the show returned. “You know, there’s this new jelly at work. It looks like _samgyeopsal_ but it’s actually jelly.” She pulled out her phone, scrolling through her camera roll until she found a picture that looked like samgyeopsal, but the label had the word “jelly” carved into it. She showed the image to the dragon. 

“It looked real. I almost put our entire stock into the fridge until Nako yelled at me and told me to read the labels before moving things.” An embarrassed laugh came from her lips. The dragon snorted in amusement but stared at the picture curiously.

Minjoo placed her phone down, gently scooped up the dragon into her palm and moved it to the familiar perch against her shoulder. “Enough of that, let’s enjoy the rest of the day and watch some movies.” She settled into her seat and turned on a random movie for her and her dragon companion to enjoy for the rest of the day. 

* * *

Working at the convenient store was like any other part-time job, there were moments when the store bustled with customers, and there were moments when it was completely dead. Because Minjoo mostly worked the graveyard shift, she rarely had any busy moments. This was nice because it gave her a chance to finish stocking the shelves, clean up the workplace, or even study. She was always diligent and kept herself busy at work instead of playing with her phone in the corner like a certain _bestest friend_ of hers. 

But even Minjoo had her limits and found herself bored and staring off into space sometimes. This let her observe and track certain things that happen at night, like the cab driver who came in after midnight for a coffee before waiting in his car for his next client, or a group of young boys who finished playing at the net cafe nearby and were hungry for a small snack, or more recently, a girl who came in and did absolutely nothing in their store.

“Nako… Nako!” 

Minjoo shuffled over to the corner, kicking her shoe, and ducking behind the counter before she could be seen. Nako hissed at Minjoo, glaring. “You broke my combo!” 

Minjoo ignored the glare in favour of peering over the countertop and gesturing wildly towards the far aisle of the convenience store. “She’s back again.” 

For the past few nights, a girl dressed in a black hoodie (that Minjoo swore looked familiar) and a pair of denim shorts entered the convenience store. Minjoo always heard the jingle of coins from her pocket as she walked by, but she never got a glimpse of her face, only spotting stray locks of brown hair that escaped their hood. She would stay around for a while, before leaving without buying anything. Minjoo would check the area she stood, concerned, but everything was still neatly arranged, as if it were never touched.

Nako peered over, barely reaching over the top of the counter. She arched a brow and glanced at Minjoo. "Are you checking her out?" 

"No!" Minjoo hissed back, kicking Nako's foot again. She deserved to have her combo broken. "It's been like this for the past week, isn't it strange?" 

"Well, is there any harm if she's not taking anything?" 

Nako had a point, but Minjoo never, ever wanted to admit that. Her eyes darted back to the corner, where the hooded girl was staring at some snacks. Minjoo contemplated if she should ask her if she needed help, but they were just a convenience store, not a cosmetics store where that kind of service was common. Her brow furrowed in thought, maybe this was something to bring up with their manager...

"Minjoo!" 

Minjoo blinked, noticing a couple packs of _Haribo_ jelly sitting in front of her. She glanced upwards and gasped loudly, the girl that she had been pondering about was in front of her, wanting to buy the jelly. She hurriedly apologized and grabbed the jellies and started scanning them. There was a faint sound of snickering and when she went to glare at Nako, Nako was "checking stock". 

She returned to the hooded girl in front, "That'll be 3000 won."

The girl paused for a moment, fishing for coins in her pocket again before pulling out a large amount of coins. Minjoo blinked, _really?_ Giving the girl a reassuring smile, she counted the coins slowly. She felt a smothering gaze on her, and when she glanced upwards, the girl turned her head away.

Once she hit 3000, she took all the coins. "Thank you for stopping by. Here's your receipt." 

The girl took the jelly, the receipt and left without another word, her steps quick and light.

Minjoo was left staring at the back of the hoodie, before turning to Nako who was back on her phone again. "I think I have that same hoodie."

"Great. Maybe you two are soulmates or something." 

She sighed, kicking Nako's foot one more time before sorting out the coins, her mind still trying to understand who this girl was and why she seemed so _familiar_. 

* * *

On one of her free days, Minjoo noticed something strange when she lifted the small treasure box she bought for her small dragon. It was surprisingly light, and she could hear some clinks of coins and shuffles of paper. She thought that the dragon had more coins than how it felt. She’s about to open it, curious on the sudden difference, until a cry prevented her from opening it. Her small dragon companion peered out from her favourite cup, staring, and crying at her again.

It looked displeased. Minjoo retreated to the table, setting the treasure box next to the cup. The dragon leapt from inside of her cup and onto the box, tail wrapping protectively around it. It glared at Minjoo, warning her not to touch it any longer.

Minjoo raised a brow, that was a _first_. However, everyone had their own reasons for keeping secrets, she figured the dragon was the same. She gently rubbed the top of the dragon’s head, “Okay, okay. I won’t open it.” 

The dragon snorted, nodding defiantly. It lowered its head onto the treasure chest, closing its eyes once more. 

Minjoo smiled, staring at the small dragon. It must really like to sleep.

What a strange creature.

* * *

On laundry day, Minjoo found something odd in her black hoodie.

Her small dragon companion was sleeping the afternoon away, presumably tired from the movie they watched in the morning (it crawled into her cup after she put away the dried dishes and immediately went to sleep) and Minjoo went to finish house chores for the afternoon. While she wished she could have slept the rest of the afternoon away, she had to make use of any free time she had to tidy up the house and do any other miscellaneous chores. When she went to wash her black clothes, she found a stray receipt inside the pocket of her hoodie. She’s about to dismiss it, thinking that it must have been a receipt she forgot the last time she wore it, but noticed the name and location on it. 

It was from the convenience store she worked at.

A confused frown lowered her lips, she didn’t remember wearing her black hoodie to the convenience store, and judging by the time written on it, it was a time that _she_ was on shift. Furthermore, it was for some _Haribo_ jellies. She was sure she never bought any recently…

She brought the sweater to her nose, taking in the scent. Perhaps her memory was failing her, and she bought this while on shift and stuffed the receipt in her pocket. She expected the faint fragrance of her favourite perfume but instead, a smoky fire smell wafted into her nose. She stared at the sweater curiously, there was no way she wore this on her bi-weekly meat ups with Nako…

* * *

Minjoo’s suspicions were all confirmed when she saw the same hooded girl from the previous nights walk into the store during her shift again, dressed in _her_ black hoodie. She stood around the far aisle again and eventually walked over to their counter, holding a package of Samgyeopsal _jelly_. Minjoo snuck glances at her as she rang her in and blinked when the girl pointed over at one of the plastic bags.

“Did you want a bag for this? It’s an extra 50 won.” 

Just a simple nod. Minjoo charged for a bag and took a black bag and placed the jelly in it. She set the bag on the counter and told her the total. The girl set a handful of coins on the counter and Minjoo counted them, now realizing why they seemed so familiar to her.

Finished, she handed the girl the bag and the receipt, but before she could get away, she called out to her. "Wait."

The girl paused but didn't face her. She was avoiding direct contact with Minjoo on purpose. Minjoo swallowed carefully, unsuccessfully matching her gaze. “You… live nearby, right?” She didn’t wait for a response because _she knew_. “Let’s go home together.” 

From the corner, a loud _what?!_ echoed. Nako dropped her full combo when she heard Minjoo’s sudden bold statement.

The girl hesitated and turned her head slightly towards Minjoo. She jerked away suddenly, pointing at the exit, and left in a hurry. Minjoo watched her, confused, but noticed that she only left to stand outside for her.

Minjoo finished sorting out the coins and turned to Nako with a wide smile. “You can handle the rest of the shift until Hyewon-unnie comes in, right?” 

Nako stared at her with an arched brow, slowly lowering her phone. "I thought you said you weren't checking out that girl? Now you’re asking her to go home with you?" 

Minjoo took the response as a _yes_ and shrugged as she went to go get her things from their backroom.

* * *

Minjoo found the hooded girl standing idly outside, chewing slowly on some Haribo jellies. She slowly walked to her side, "Sorry for keeping you waiting." She said and held out a coin to her, the same coin she would have dropped next to the small dragon back at home when she woke her up as usual. A hand took the coin with no response and held out a black bag to her.

Minjoo blinked but took the bag into her hand, peering inside and spotting the Samgyeopsal jelly that she always wanted to try. She glanced at the girl, noticing that she was still trying to avoid her gaze. She smiled, holding the bag in one hand and gently took the girl’s hand. “Thank you.” She said, her tone laced with thankfulness that didn’t come from just the Samgyeopsal jelly. 

“Should we go home now?” Minjoo asked, her fingers curling around the girl’s. They were warm, which was strange because it was late at night and the wind was chilly. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall asleep on the way there.” 

The girls snorted, snapping her head away with a small huff, but curled her fingers around Minjoo’s as they left together. 

**Author's Note:**

> based off of a tumblr post with the prompt: 
> 
> "Early one morning, you pull down your favourite cup, only to find a small dragon, curled up and sleeping contentedly inside."
> 
> the idea stuck with me for a while and after a playful discussion about a 01 line shapeshifter universe, i started to type away. i wasn't planning on making a shapeshifters au, but i couldn't pass up the idea of minjoo and a tiny dragon (that is yuri). there's not going to be a lot of world building in this, just two small (?) exploration pieces into this weird universe. the second one will be about nako and a ???. i won't reveal anything quite yet ;) 
> 
> i hope you enjoyed this. as always, thank you for your kudos, comments and love!
> 
> see you next update ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ


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